Whipped Cream Stars

Have you ever seen those adorable marshmallows that are in cute little shapes sitting so delicately in a blogger's hot chocolate? And then you've looked up homemade marshmallow recipes and thought to yourself, "no thanks."? Yeah, me too. But something about those little shapes always had me curious, so I started to research. It turns out that you can create the same cute marshmallow effect with whipped cream...and personally, whipped cream sounds oh so much more delectable than a cutesy marshmallow, amiright?

These hot cocoa whipped cream stars are so simple! You can use store bought whipped cream, or create your own whipped cream like I did. Whipped cream is super easy to make, especially if you have a stand mixer, but if you're in a pinch, the frozen stuff works just fine! 

I started by whipping my cream. Next, I added just a dash of water to my whipped cream (about 1/4 cup). While it seems counterintuitive to whip cream and then melt it with water, never fear: the water helps the whipped cream freeze faster & mold better. You'll see! Stir in your water and then spread the whipped cream mixture onto a parchment lined baking sheet. A festive spatula makes the process so much more fun. This spatula actually came in a tea towel set from Hallmark. This set makes a fantastic last minute gift because it comes with an adorable snowman towel to go with it. Coming in at just under $15, it's a fabulous price point, too. 

You want your whipped cream to be relatively flat, and thick enough to cut through. Mine ended up being about an inch or so thick. 

Pop that cookie sheet in the freeze for 3-4 hours and wait patiently for the finished product. After the time has passed, pull out your cookie sheet (you might want to use a potholder because that metal is crazy cold). Next, find a cute cookie cutter like the star used here, and carefully cut into the whipped cream. It will be frozen solid and a bit hard to cut through, so be careful not to wiggle too much and break your star. 

Finally, add your star to a cute coffee mug (like mine from Hallmark) full of hot chocolate and voila! a darling little topping for your hot cocoa. Take a peek at the video below for a quick visual overview of this project from start to finish. It's easy as pie! 

And if you're in the market for fantastic hot cocoa, might I recommend this set? 

Holiday Cards for Clients

This year, I have another set of people to be thankful for during the holidays: my clients and business friends. It has been such a joy starting my own business and gaining new clients friends. This holiday season, I am planning to send each of my clients a holiday card from Hallmark to show how much I appreciate them and their trust in me. 

When I was in college, I worked as an admin assistant at my dad's office and saw tons of holiday gifts come and go to his office. Little tokens of appreciation - chocolates, fruit, gifts, etc. But what I personally loved the most was opening Christmas cards from fellow companies. Even if those cards weren't really "signed," it was the concept of taking a moment to send someone a piece of mail. In a world where email is the main form of correspondence, I love the idea of sitting down and signing a card to send to clients and business partners. 

This year, I am using holiday cards from Hallmark. Their wide selection made choosing fun. I picked up several different boxes before deciding on the brightly colored (sequined!) card. The box came with envelopes & the cheery associate gave me gold crown stickers to apply to each envelope, making it easy to sign each one and pop them in the mail without leaving that unsatisfactory envelope taste in my mouth. 

I'm looking forward to sending a little bit of cheer to my clients this year with the help of Hallmark.

Unique Table Runners: Setting your table for 3 major holidays

Wrapping paper is one of the most versatile things in your entertaining arsenal. While it can of course be used for making gifts look lovely, wrapping paper has many other uses, too. My personal favorite, is using it for a quick table runner. Not only will it bring instant color to your table, but it makes clean-up a breeze. 

Last week I took a stroll through my local Hallmark to check-out their wrapping paper section. Not only was I greeted with fabulous paper, but I also found an incredible selection of accessories and tags which, as you will see, make great table accessories and name plates. Plus, Hallmark was running a special in which if you bought one roll of paper, you got an additional roll for $1...not to mention several of my wrapping paper choices were already on sale for 30% off. Two thumbs up, Hallmark. 

Since I found so many beautiful wrapping papers, I decided to show you how to achieve an easy table look fit for the next three major holidays: Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Years Eve. Since I wanted to make it a point to use what you have, I didn't change any of the items I used other than the wrapping paper & name plates (all from Hallmark). Everything else is straight from my own collection of china & glassware. In my opinion, you don't have to buy something new to host, especially with these gift accessories from Hallmark. 

Take a look at my video showing a quick glimpse into each tablescape, or scroll down for more information on creating three beautiful tables of your own:

Thanksgiving: Use brown craft paper from Hallmark for this table runner. The best part? It is the perfect width, so you can easily add it over your favorite tablecloth without having to worry about cutting a straight line. Add a leaf with guests name (from your own yard) for a splash of color. Oh, and don't forget to have to-go boxes readily available to send guests home with leftovers. I love these brown boxes tied up with ribbon. 

Christmas: For Christmas, I'm loving classic red this season, so I chose a plaid wrapping paper for my table runner. I also picked up two red bells & two red ornaments to serve as place cards. I love that each guest can take their place setting gift home and add it to their own tree. 

New Years Eve: New Years Eve is an excuse to get glamorous. Use silver chargers (seen in every other tablescape) against metallic scallop paper from Hallmark. I love the glimmer that dances off of the stemware from the paper. I also used gift tags as place cards. Instead of writing guests name, write fun New Years Eve inspired words like "cheers," "clink," "pop," and "fizz." 

There you have it! Three tables without changing more than the table runners & takeaway gifts! All thanks to the amazing selection of Christmas decor at Hallmark. 

What are your tricks for setting your holiday tables?